


Stuck with Me

by Trammel



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys Kissing, Love, M/M, Super Soldier Serum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 19:07:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12941766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trammel/pseuds/Trammel
Summary: They'd decided to do it right before Tony's 45th birthday. The gray in his hair and beard was starting to encroach faster than he could keep up with having it dyed. And after missions now, his back pain was a serious bitch. And some days the weight of the reactor seemed to take all of his breath away, not just some.





	Stuck with Me

As Bruce pulled the last restraint on Tony's left wrist tight, Tony decided to try to lighten things up a bit.

"You know, usually when you have me naked and tied down, you're not this serious," he joked. He was trying not to shiver, as he was covered in just a light blanket, in case Bruce needed to give him immediate medical attention.

He didn't want to spook Bruce more than he already was. Bruce smiled down at him, from his position beside the medical bed Tony was laid out on, but it didn't reach those soft brown eyes.

"Last chance to back out. Are you sure you want to do this? It's not exactly a blessing." Bruce held his gaze, worried, and Tony tried to put the strength of all his feelings into his own voice.

"I don't want to go anywhere you can't follow me. You know that."

With everything Bruce had been through, they'd come to the conclusion that it was likely the Hulk couldn't die. And it was clear but unspoken that with the stress of the arc reactor on his body, in addition to the physical toll that being an Avenger had on a just-human body, Tony's life expectancy wasn't the best.

It had taken Tony a while to find the proof that after being shot, Nick had used an upgraded version of the serum that SHIELD had been working on. It had taken longer to get Nick on board and willing to share SHIELD's version of the serum so Tony and Bruce could tweak it for this purpose.

Then, of course, Bruce had insisted on monitoring Fury and the results on his physiology for a while before agreeing to do it.

They'd decided to do it right before Tony's 45th birthday. The gray in his hair and beard was starting to encroach faster than he could keep up with having it dyed. And after missions now, his back pain was a serious bitch. And some days the weight of the reactor seemed to take all of his breath away, not just some.

This version of the serum was designed to do a lot more work on the inside than on the outside, but Tony didn't want to wait so long that the outward physical change was too noticeable. This way the tabloids could attribute his more youthful look to having had some work done.

It was partly true; they just would know exactly what kind of work.

Bruce checked all the restraints one last time, then his hand came down to gently cup Tony's face, his eyes saying everything the scientist couldn't say out loud.

"I believe we are ready, Sir." That was JARVIS, giving Bruce a little push. Tony had been ready for years.

Bruce nodded, then stepped back to pick up the syringe.

"You'll feel a little pinch," Bruce managed to joke. Tony smiled at him.

"Bring it on." He brought out his cockiness, his best armor. _Please let this work._ He couldn't leave the world early; he had too much to do. And he wouldn't leave Bruce. He would fight with all he had to stay with Bruce.

First Tony just felt the sharp pain of the needle, but then a wave of heat flowed through his whole body. Bruce kept one eye on him while pulling up screens to check his vitals through the process.

"How does it feel?"

"It's-ah!" Tony's breath left him as the heat suddenly turned into pain, thunderous waves of pain… Steve had told him it hurt, but this was the new and improved version, and he didn't think…he knew he could do pain but…oh fuck…

It seemed like every cell in his body was exploding.

He was shouting, screaming, and straining at the straps. Bruce was saying something, his and Jarvis' urgent voices overlapping, but Tony couldn't understand. His chest, oh god, was his heart exploding?

Finally, thankfully, everything went black.

* * *

Tony slowly became aware of himself. He could feel his body, seemed to be in one piece.

There was no more pain. Actually, there was less pain than he usually woke up with, though he did feel a strange exhaustion, more in his head than anywhere else. He could move; Bruce must have undone the restraints.

Did that mean it was successful? Was he new and improved now?

"You're ok. You're ok. You're ok," Bruce was repeating gently. Strong arms were around him. He was all in one piece.

Tony forced his eyes open. He was still on the cot, looking up at Bruce, who was gently stroking his hair.

"Did-did it…?" Tony croaked out.

"Yes. It worked. Everything's fine. You're better than fine. Just, just keep your eyes on me for a minute."

There was something strange in Bruce's eyes. "Why, what? Shit, I didn't grow a tail or anything, did I?" Tony didn't feel any extra appendages and the pain was completely gone.

"No, you're physically perfect." Bruce smiled. "Even more than before. Try to take a few deep breaths."

That was Bruce's usual instruction for when Tony was freaking out. But now…

"There's absolutely nothing wrong. Just some new things to get used to," Bruce said calmly.

He kept his eyes on Bruce and took a breath- a breath that seemed to never end, his lungs filling and filling with air.

Holy shit. His breath. His chest - there was no pain, no pressure, no weight - his eyes finally flicked down and he saw his bare chest. His chest, ribs, sternum, with no hole in it. Fully healed. Moving up and down with his breath. No reactor.

He reached up his hand and felt his chest. The bone was there. Strong and intact.

"Your lungs are at full capacity Sir, your sternum and ribs are completely healed." Even JARVIS' voice was heavy with emotion. Of course, like Bruce, J would have been facing a lot of years of existence without Tony if they hadn't done this.

Tony swallowed and his eyes turned back to up Bruce, who gently placed something in Tony's left hand. He felt the familiar metal of the reactor and grabbed onto it with a death grip. This wasn't - he couldn't quite process this all yet. The reactor was there, in his hand. Not in him.

Tony nodded slowly. "Do - do people just breathe like this? With no pain?"

Bruce's hand softly covered Tony's on his chest. "A lot of people, yeah. And now-" Bruce's voice cracked as he stared down at their hands. At Tony's healed chest.

Tony felt Bruce's hand shaking slightly, and saw a tear escape the other's man's eyes.

"Hey. Hey. It's all good." Tony struggled to sit up but Bruce put his hands on Tony's shoulders.

"No, we have to finish testing…"

"That can wait a minute." Tony managed to sit up and pulled Bruce into a hug. Tony kept the reactor in his left hand, but wrapped his right arm around Bruce as tightly as he could. He could feel the warmth of Bruce's body against his chest, no metal separating them. "We have time. Now we have a lot more time."

Bruce nodded, holding onto Tony. Tony felt him shaking as the tears overcame him.

"You didn't have to do this, but-you did, for me, and I - I can't believe-"

"Wait a minute. You think for one minute I didn't want to do this? Why should Steve and Fury have all the fun?"

That got a slight chuckle, at least. Bruce's face was buried in the crook of Tony's neck, and he heard Bruce's faint voice.

"You're staying with me. You're staying."

"I told you. I'm staying. You're really stuck with me now. Think of all the time we're gonna have now. Everything we're gonna invent. Everything we're gonna see."

Tony held on as Bruce's tears waned. Then Bruce's lips were on his, hot and needy. Bruce was saying something, between kisses, between gasps for air. Tony finally realized what it was.

"Together. Together."

Tony held him as tight as he could and kissed back.

**Author's Note:**

> I remember reading a post about Fury in CATWS, how when he showed up alive, he would have to have so much tech underneath his clothes to keep him upright. So I figured, they probably just used the serum on him...


End file.
